Flodden Field 1513

This was the battle to end all battles between the English and Scots. It's the one everybody knows about, the day the English beat the Scots.

It was fought between a Scottish army led by it's king, James IV and Henry the VIII's Army led by Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. Henry VIII himself was away fighting the French. James was at this time married to Henry's sister Margaret but this did not stop him renewing the "Auld Alliance" and offering mutual aid to France if England invaded.

Of Course, Henry did Invade, so James marched south across the Tweed and camped on the north east slope of Flodden Hill. This was a diversionary tactic designed to stop Henry sending all of his force to France. Henry had allowed for this and assembled a large force under the leadership of Surrey and marched north. The further north it went the larger it grew.

Surrey eventually camped at Wooler. After various attempts at taunting the Scots down from their supperior position, Surrey decided to ford the river Till and march north on the western bank. This must have caused great amusement among the Scottish ranks at first but then it dawned on them that the English were now between them and home.The English just kept on marching until finally they were lost from the view of the Scots who must have thought that they were being bypassed and the English were mounting their own invasion. In fact the English only proceeded as far as was necessary to conceal their camp from Scots eyes.

Battlefield map

Back to battle sites Index                         Battle of Flodden part 2